Check-row corn-planter.



UNITED STATES Patented August 23,1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

CH E CK-ROW CORN-PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 768,081, dated August 23, 1904. Application filed May 4, 1904. Serial No. 206,420, (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GRIGGS A. SEOHLER and HENRY F. ENGELKTNG, citizens of the United States, residing at Clarence, in the county of Cedar and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Check-Row Corn-Planters, of which the follow-ing is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a check-row corn planter with mechanism whereby the operator from the seat and from the ground near the seat may disconnect the check-wire from one side of the machine and connect it on the opposite side.-

The nature of the invention will fully appear from the description and claims following, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view in perspective of mechanism embodying our invention and enough of a corn-planter to show the operation thereof. Fig. 2 is a view of the check-wire fender detached.

In the ordinary operation of a corn-planter it is of course necessary at-.e'ach turn to shift the check-wire at that side of the field both with respect to the field and also with respect to the machine. Provision is accordingly made for detaching the check-Wire from its raceway one on either side and its connection with the dropping mechanism and for transferring it to a corresponding position on the opposite side of the planter. As planters are commonly constructed, however, the operator must go from the front of the machine, Where the check-wire connects with it, to a point op posite to or back of the seat, where the checkwire is staked, or vice versa, involving several steps. He must also handle a dirty check wire and greasy machine parts in making the This invention is designed to remove these objections by making it possible for the operator from his position on the seat to drop the check-wire or at least open the raceway, so that the wire may be drawn out sidewise,

side of the machine.

and from his position at the stake to throw the wire into connection with the other dropping mechanism.

Referring now to the drawings, A design ates a corn-planter runner or furrow-opener, B the usual frame thereon, provided with a pair of bridges C, (one only being shown,) and D a part of the wheel-frame, to'which is connected the running-gear and on which is mounted the drivers seat. (Not shown.) E is, how ever, a part-of the tripod which supports the seat, a part of its connected sector and the hand lever in connection therewith being broken away. 1 G is the dropper-actuating rock-shaft, journaled in a standard H and provided with a fork I to engage the check-wire J. The wire runs in a raceway formed by four flanged rollers K and L, the latter mounted on a yoke M, pivoted to the standard and adapted to swing outwardly and downwardly to disengage the wire. All of these parts are of familiar construction and'need not be particularly described.

At some convenient point accessible to the drivers foot, as to the shaft N, is mounted a double-acting foot-lever O. This connects by a rod P with a short crank-arm Q, attached to a shaft R, extending across the front portion of the planter. At each end it is provided with an eccentric or cam S to engage a finger T on the yoke above it. The shaft is journaled to rock a limited distance in suitable bearings U, it being understood that the mechanism shown is duplicated on the other (Not shown.)

By pressing down on the rear foot-lever the cam is rocked back from under the yoke, and the latter swings outwardly by gravity, opening out the raceway, so that the wire may be easily disengaged from any point. forward on the other foot-lever of course reverses the operation and swings the yoke to operative position.

From near the outer ends of the rollers K rods Vextend up to a considerable height above the planter. These are preferably somewhat Pressing curved, as indicated, and at their lower ends are preferably enlarged to about the diameter of the rollers, or at least extend down as low as the bottom edge of the cylindrical portion of the roller, so that the check-wire sliding down them will draw smoothly under the roller and be in operative position when released.

In Fig. 2 the roller-stud and the curved fender are shown formed of one piece; but any other construction which would serve the same ends might be equally practical, and we do not limit the invention to this or any other special shape or structure.

The practical operation of the device is as follows: At the end of a corn-row the operator, by the foot-lever, disengages the eheck-wire from the raceway that is to say, he opens the raceway, so that the check-wire will draw out, if not already disengaged. He then turns, heading the planter in the opposite direction, having moved over the space of a corn-row. He now dismounts, pulls up the check-wire stake, and without any change in his hold throws the wire up against the fenders, down which it slides to its operative position in the raceway. He resets the stake for the new row, remounts the seat, and by the foot-lever closes the raceway. The operation is per formed in the least possible time and with the smallest expenditure of effort.

In practice it is probable that the dropperfork I may need to be made with fingers a little longer and more flaring than those in general use, so as to readily catch the wire as it is thrown up against the fenders; but otherwise there is little or no change necessary in planters as they are now constructed.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In acorn-planter, a yoke for a check-wire raceway pivoted to swing to open and close the raceway, a cam to engage the same and elevate it to operative position, a foot-lever, and mechanism to connect the -am with said foot-lever.

2. The described mechanism for raising and depressing the raceway-yoke of a corn-planter, comprising a cam to engage a projection of the yoke, a rock-shaft for the cam, a footlever, a rock-shaft lever,and a connecting-rod, substantially as shown.

3. The combination with a corn-planter raceway having rolls to guide the eheclvwire, of fenders extending some distance beyond said rolls, and leading into the raceway, whereby the check-wire may be thrown into the raceway from a distance, as specified.

I. The combination with the upper rolls of a check-wire raceway, of a pair of curved fenders leading from points remote from the rollers to the under sides of said rollers, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof we aiiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

GRIGGS A. SIXIII'LIGR. HENRY F. ENG ELKING. Witnesses:

J. E. DUNKE, J. I. FuReUsoN, Jr. 

